Three steps to all-electric

Thinking about going all-electric, but unsure what’s involved? Here we present an overview of the steps to going all-electric and where to find more information.

IN THE past, gas was seen as a cheap and clean option for winter heating, hot water and cooking. However, the efficiency of electric appliances has improved dramatically and solar PV has fallen so much in price (and can be used to power those appliances), meaning it can now be cheaper and more environmentally sustainable to go off gas and run an all-electric home.

The ATA first looked at this in 2014 and the modelling results can be found at www.bit.ly/ATA-GVE. In summary, the results showed that even when paying grid electricity rates (i.e. without solar PV), for many Australian homes it would be cheaper over 10 years to switch from gas to efficient electric appliances, with appliances replaced as they fail or in some cases even before this. Greater savings can be found when disconnecting completely from the gas network as this eliminates the gas supply charge (costing several hundred dollars a year). The report also highlighted that new homes should not be connected to gas, as doing so would lock in higher energy costs than needed.

Savings will depend on the thermal performance of your home, the electricity price negotiated with your retailer, your gas tariffs and the efficiency of your appliances. The Grattan Institute found that a large home in Melbourne can save $1024 per year by disconnecting from the gas grid: www.bit.ly/GATCAHC

In addition, by using modern electric appliances, your home can be converted to use 100% renewable energy, whether you generate your own electricity with rooftop solar or purchase 100% GreenPower from your electricity retailer. The ATA’s latest modelling compares gas running costs to electric with solar; see p. 44 for preliminary results.

Three steps to all-electric

There are three main areas where many homes currently use gas: space heating, hot water and cooking (mainly cooktops, but ovens too). To switch to all-electric, there are now efficient options available for these uses. This article summarises the options and points to where to find more information.